The Epidemic

WARNING...not for the feeble

YES...the flu has already hit our house! On Sunday one of the girls in Ellie's sunbeam class had a little case of the "runs". Tuesday morning Ellie woke up and threw up and then had the runs for the rest of the day. In fact..."I keep pooping my panties and I don't know how...I don't mean to!!! I am peeing poo poo" (editors note: add one package of panties to shopping list). Poor thing didn't know what diarrhea was...NOW we do! Note: remember how Scott left town the same morning as the outbreak of the flu...seems to be a theme around here! Along with the coming home to suffer the same consequences.

We were all fine the next day and then Thursday morning we woke up peeing poo poo again and looking a little green.

Friday Ellie seemed good...Chloe on the other hand had some of the stenchiest, gooiest diapers to grace the planet earth. By evening she seemed to be out of goo...good thing because I have a DATE!

Scott and I went out to dinner with our friends the Brazell's and had a fun time chatting with them...I think the waiters/waitresses were taking bets on when we would leave because they seemed to be congregated behind us when we left and I SWEAR I heart a little ovation that a table had FINALLY opened up (I hope that the doggie bag hadn't gone bad by the time it got home to the Brazell's house!!!) Afterward we went to Sam's Club and stocked up on some lunch-making supplies as well as a birthday present for Gus...almost 14 & legal to go to Stake dances!!!

On the way home Joslyn called begging to go to a party at a friends house...we'll see. I WANTED to say no SOOOOO bad!!!! I was so tired and had been so excited to go to bed early and sleep in the next day. "Sure...I'll take you" I thought it was over by 10:00 & found out it was 11:00 when we got there (argh!). When I picked her up she was beaming from ear to ear and had SOOO much fun playing night games & even Fear Factor (eating REAL worms...seriously?!! They said something about that when I dropped her off & I seriously thought they meant gummy worms!!!!). I got to bed at about midnight & at 2am was awoken by screams from the bathroom. I went running and Ellie was standing in front of the toilet with a groggy best-buddy. She will often do this and need to go to the bathroom (I don't know if she isn't fully awake or WHAT but she doesn't know how to pull down her pants and get on the toilet...I don't know if she knows WHY she's even there!!!!!). So I hurry and take care of business for her and while she's sitting on the toilet a warm & chunky flow of vomit protrudes from her body onto MY FEET!!!! And then again...and then AGAIN...I'm just standing there in shock...I can't go get anything to help because my FEET are covered in PUKE! (some of the foulest smelling stuff EVER btw) I get her into the shower & wipe up the floor (& my feet!) As I'm getting her pajamas out of her room it smells AWFUL in her room & we ask Joslyn if she threw up in there...no idea. So Scott gets a flashlight (seriously...EVERYONE is awake!! haha), and sure enough there is puke all over the bed and floor. I get Ellie settled & then I go to work scrubbing the bathroom...picking up the house and finally at 4am I lay down on the floor and sleep until about 6am when Austin decides to get up and play a computer game behind us.

My friend is a teacher at school & said that it's ALREADY going around school here. I'm not kidding when I tell you that last year was AWFUL! There were FEW weeks that there wasn't someone in the family who was sick. We've even been sick a couple of times throughout the summer. (and despite what my family will tell you...it's not just my kids...it's all over around here!) I'm dreading the winter this year!! I've always hated when my kids get sick (because I'm sure the rest of you LOVE it right?!), but we've entered a whole new dimension...aye the TWILIGHT ZONE...since Ellie came along!! Everything affects her soooo much worse & we have to monitor her so carefully & I always have that worry that I may need to run to the hospital at any minute.

Next week will be better!